Obaika Racing
| 200px | |
| Owner(s) | Victor Obaika |
|---|---|
| Base | Mooresville, North Carolina |
| Series | Xfinity Series |
| Car numbers | 97 |
| Race drivers | 97. Harrison Rhodes |
| Sponsors | 97. VroomBrands |
| Manufacturer | Chevrolet |
| Opened | 2015 |
| Career | |
| Debut | 2015 Alert Today Florida 300 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | 2016 Hisense 4K TV 300 (Charlotte) |
| Races competed | 32 |
| Drivers' Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
Obaika Racing is an African professional stock car racing team that currently competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Owned by Nigerian entrepreneur, Victor Obaika,[1] the team currently fields the No. 97 Chevrolet Camaro full-time for Harrison Rhodes. They are the first African-owned team in a major NASCAR series.
The team is based in Mooresville, North Carolina, thirty minutes away from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Xfinity Series
Car No. 97 history
Obaika Racing entered competition in 2015. The team signed driver Josh Reaume, who met team owner Victor Obaika while on humanitarian missions in Africa as a child.[2][3] The 97 team debuted at the Daytona International Speedway in the Xfinity Series season-opening Alert Today Florida 300, with Reaume finishing 23rd.[2][4] After three races, with one DNQ, Peyton Sellers replaced Reaume.[5][6] In April 2015, the team secured their first sponsor, vacation provider VroomBrands which is owned by Obaika.[5] VroomBrands wrapped the No. 97 in designs such as a Zebra representing their African safari package (debuted at Richmond International Raceway) and the Cheetah print representing their tours in Asia (debuted at Talladega Superspeedway).[5] At the Winn-Dixie 300 at Talladega, Sellers scored the team's first top-20 finish, finishing 18th despite being involved in a ten-car wreck that sent cars spinning down pit road. Johanna Long replaced Sellers for the U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway.[7][8][9] After one more start for Sellers at Watkins Glen, the team introduced various drivers for the rest of the season.[8] Dylan Kwasniewski debuted with the team in the Nationwide Children's Hospital at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course,[8] finishing 34th due to mechanical problems after running in the top 10.[10] Kwasniewski would run the next two races for the team.[10] Parker Kligerman drove the car in the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 at Darlington Raceway, Mason Mingus in the Furious 7 300 at Chicagoland Speedway, and Ryan Ellis in the Hisense 200 at the Dover International Speedway.[11]
Magic Creeper appeared as the primary sponsor for the DAV 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway, with Kwasniewski as the driver.[12] Obaika Racing completed the season in the top 30 in owner points.
On January 29, 2016, it was announced that Harrison Rhodes had been signed to drive the 97 full-time.[13][14][15] The team also planned to expand to two cars.[13]
Photos
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97 Dylan Kwasniewski 2015 Road America.jpg
Zebra-themed car at Road America
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CheetahPaintScheme.jpg
Cheetah-themed car at Talladega
References
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